“We are honored that Michael is trusting us with his private journey in this moment that has not only made history but will shape it forever,” Winfrey said in a statement. “I am proud of the focus on authentic storytelling in our new documentary series format. The next real-life story we follow in The Untitled Michael Sam Project promises to spark valuable, important discussion on life in America today. Acceptance and illumination start here.”

Sam added: “Like every player out there working to make a team right now, my focus is on playing football to the very best of my ability. I am determined. And if seeing my story helps somebody else accept who they are and to go for their dreams too, that’s great. I am thankful to Oprah for her support and excited to work together.”

Baffling, although you can anticipate his defenses before you criticize him. One of them’s right there in the excerpt — he’s doing this, he says, as an inspiration to others, more of a PSA to empower gays than a means of self-promotion. Why kicking ass on the field and doing the occasional interview isn’t sufficient inspiration is unclear, but no one’s going to win a “you’re overdoing it” argument with a guy who’s doing something in pro sports that no one’s done before. Self-promotion will be treated as promotion for the cause of gay rights, with no exceptions.

Another obvious defense: Plenty of straight pro athletes participate in reality shows, so why hold Sam to a double standard? He can’t let viewers play voyeur but Lamar Odom can spend years orbiting the Kardashian freak show on camera without much static? The answer to that one, of course, is that normalization is a priority for Sam in a way that it isn’t for any other pro athlete. Part of the reason he came out, presumably, was to show that gays are just like everyone else, even when “everyone else” is composed of world-class athletes in America’s most macho sport. I expected him to keep a low profile in the league at first and take a strict “judge me for what I do on the field” attitude to make that point clear — but then, it’s stupid for anyone to set expectations for a guy who’s defied them already in such a dramatic way. What you’re seeing here really is tension between two different strategies for majority acceptance of minorities, the “we’re just like you” approach versus the “we’re different and you should respect that” approach. Historically, the former usually comes first and evolves over time towards the latter, but the reality show makes me think that Sam’s already moving towards the second one. It may not work out that way — the show may end up being all about how similar his off-field life is to the average straight fan’s, which would be more like the first approach — but it’ll be hard to escape that conclusion given that the reason he has a show before playing so much as a down in the NFL is because he’s different.

But maybe I’m misjudging. Maybe, after 10 years of Americans liberalizing on gay marriage, most of the country has already internalized the “we’re just like you” message from gays and therefore Sam can proceed directly to “I’m different and that’s okay.” And hey — as a seventh-round pick who’s unlikely to see much playing time, it’s probably in his interest to build his public profile around his celebrity rather than his on-field activity. Sam the player is unlikely to be remembered but Sam the trailblazer is safely famous forever.

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I am proud to say I have never watched a show on OWN.
Even if I did watch OWN I would have no interest in watching this weird-looking guy cavorting with his weird-looking sodomy partner.
Orca thinks she can make a buck on this one. I’m betting not.

I don’t there’s many football fans that watch Oprah’s network, or even know she has a network. The vast majority of OWN’s viewership is black women. And I really don’t expect this one show to change that.

And we don’t know any of the real details about this whole thing. Sam could very well have had his arm twisted by Oprah…she’s not exactly known for her shyness. Sure, Sam’s a grownup and is ultimately responsible for his own decisions. Again, he is under tons of pressure from all sides for many reasons right now. Contrary to what some people think, I know very well how the influential “gay mafia” works…and I guarantee they’re getting their clammy paws over Sam as well.

Right now, he needs to concentrate on one thing…playing football. He can have a boyfriend, even do a show if the Rams allow it (and they’d be stupid to allow it) but playing football at the NFL level…which is totally different than even big college ball…should be his most major concern right now. If I were Sam, I’d take off, get out of town away from all this drama and attention and everyone clamoring for him to do this, or say that…and get his head straight.

“It’s Micheal Sam show! You will watch Micheal interact with females and uncomfortable situations in the locker room! You will see Micheal being sacked by more then one man! It’s the Micheal Sam show only on OWN!.

I am already sick of looking at that kid’s mug. Please pick a picture of a football or something else for the thumbnails. He’s definitely no Jackie Robinson & his 15 minutes should have been up a looooonnnggg time ago.

Why kicking ass on the field and doing the occasional interview isn’t sufficient inspiration is unclear, but no one’s going to win a “you’re overdoing it” argument with a guy who’s doing something in pro sports that no one’s done before. Self-promotion will be treated as promotion for the cause of gay rights, with no exceptions.

I think that Michael Sam, unfortunately, has demonstrated that this whole thing is as much about licking a$s in the bedroom as kicking a$s on the field…and this is coming from someone who has, generally, been a supporter of gay rights.

Right now, he needs to concentrate on one thing…playing football. He can have a boyfriend, even do a show if the Rams allow it (and they’d be stupid to allow it) but playing football at the NFL level…which is totally different than even big college ball…should be his most major concern right now. If I were Sam, I’d take off, get out of town away from all this drama and attention and everyone clamoring for him to do this, or say that…and get his head straight.

While I’m sure the NFL can and will discipline any Rams player who makes any negative verbal or written comments about Sam’s sexuality, I’m not quite sure what they’re going to do if players start criticizing him and his reality show for being a distraction. If the NFL brings the fine/suspension hammer down for that, they’re going to justifiably alienate St. Louis’ players and fans from their seventh-round pick, since it will come across as the league wanting Michael Sam to be a high-profile marketable commodity more than they want the Rams to be capable of challenging the Seahawks or the 49ers.

Right now, he needs to concentrate on one thing…playing football. He can have a boyfriend, even do a show if the Rams allow it (and they’d be stupid to allow it) but playing football at the NFL level…which is totally different than even big college ball…should be his most major concern right now. If I were Sam, I’d take off, get out of town away from all this drama and attention and everyone clamoring for him to do this, or say that…and get his head straight.

JetBoy on May 15, 2014 at 7:39 PM

Exactly right. He may have been SEC Defencive Player of the Year and an All-American, but Doug Flutie and Tim Tebow both won the Heisman Trophy and how did the NFL work out for them?

The reason that Sam went in the 7th round was because of his size. He might be ‘all heart and determination’ on the field, but he is still shorter and 60/70 pounds lighter than his typical counterpart. I understand that he said that ‘if I hadn’t come out, I would have gone in the first three rounds’ or something to that effect. Au contraire. If he hadn’t come out when he did, it is very possible that he wouldn’t have been drafted at all and would have had to try out as a walk-on.

lol! Actually, some of those guys, the one’s who’s family decided they should get a decent education and run the legitimate interests, who wore good suits and had nice haircuts,(not the chunky one’s wearing gold chains and all greasy mind you), were quite attractive, in a dangerous, tall, dark and handsome, sort of way. They had a certain look about them. They never seemed to be suffering a shortage of beautiful women, either.

This little guy looks like a completely different sort than those I’ve just described. He would definitely have suffered a shortage of beautiful companionship regardless of his orientation.

Exactly right. He may have been SEC Defencive Player of the Year and an All-American, but Doug Flutie and Tim Tebow both won the Heisman Trophy and how did the NFL work out for them?

The reason that Sam went in the 7th round was because of his size. He might be ‘all heart and determination’ on the field, but he is still shorter and 60/70 pounds lighter than his typical counterpart. I understand that he said that ‘if I hadn’t come out, I would have gone in the first three rounds’ or something to that effect. Au contraire. If he hadn’t come out when he did, it is very possible that he wouldn’t have been drafted at all and would have had to try out as a walk-on.

Resist We Much on May 15, 2014 at 8:06 PM

Totally agree…no awards for college ball, even a Heisman, guarantee a stellar NFL performance or career. Add Vinnie Testaverde to your list. College and pro are night and day.

Just my own opinion, but I think Sam would have been drafted roughly the round he was either way…I would have guess 8th. Sam’s no schlump, but he’s no great hope either. Again, every eligible player is on an emotional and anxiety tightrope on draft day. Sam, and all those drafted, dream of the day they play pro…most won’t get that chance. And a football career doesn’t last very long, even for healthy active players. This career path will affect his entire life from this point forward…and Sam needs to give it his full and undivided attention.

They fancy him as a gay Jackie Robinson. Difference is, Jackie was the best player in the game the first time he stepped on the field. Sam is nothing of the sort. It takes a valuable player to make ignorant people see how closed minded they are. Jackie did that. Sam will only make people say he’s been drafted to placate a special interest. Congratulations on setting your special interest back even further.

Exactly right. He may have been SEC Defencive Player of the Year and an All-American, but Doug Flutie and Tim Tebow both won the Heisman Trophy and how did the NFL work out for them?

The reason that Sam went in the 7th round was because of his size. He might be ‘all heart and determination’ on the field, but he is still shorter and 60/70 pounds lighter than his typical counterpart. I understand that he said that ‘if I hadn’t come out, I would have gone in the first three rounds’ or something to that effect. Au contraire. If he hadn’t come out when he did, it is very possible that he wouldn’t have been drafted at all and would have had to try out as a walk-on.

Resist We Much on May 15, 2014 at 8:06 PM

They may have missed something; I don’t believe they test a player’s depth of vision, and Sam’s eyes are so far apart that he may have depth-of-vision that greatly exceeds the norm.

The NFL has never allowed a current player to be in a reality show. We’ll see if they change the rules but I doubt it. I know for sure that the cameras won’t be allowed anywhere near the Rams as they practice.

They’ll never be able to get rid of him. You’re looking at the future General Manager of the Rams.

Cindy Munford on May 15, 2014 at 10:47 PM

Yeah, they’re stuck with him for this season and maybe next, unless he gets hurt. But he’ll be quietly cut during minicamp after the requisite time has passed and no one gives a crap about a gay guy sitting on the bench in St. Louis. If he ever actually sets foot on the field, I’ll be surprised.

Yeah, they’re stuck with him for this season and maybe next, unless he gets hurt. But he’ll be quietly cut during minicamp after the requisite time has passed and no one gives a crap about a gay guy sitting on the bench in St. Louis. If he ever actually sets foot on the field, I’ll be surprised.

Jaibones on May 15, 2014 at 11:07 PM

Now that they’ve drafted him, he has to make the team, or -anti-gay bigotry.
Now that he’s made the team, they have to play him, or anti-gay bigotry.
Etc.

The NFL has never allowed a current player to be in a reality show. We’ll see if they change the rules but I doubt it. I know for sure that the cameras won’t be allowed anywhere near the Rams as they practice.
fight like a girl on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 PM

Isn’t Sam technically a Ram? Maybe Oprah can name the new show “Rammin”

Just read an ESPN story on “Michael Sam” versus “Michael $am”. Now they’re not to happy at being told afterwards those were Oprah’s cameras in the room. Oh poor babies. Why take away from the ‘historic moment’ just because it was directed and staged.